In November 2017, Elemental Excelerator announced the Just Innovation Prize, a $100k funding opportunity for three EEx portfolio companies that were looking to accelerate access to clean technology in some of California’s low-to-moderate income neighborhoods.They requested proposals for projects in CalEnviroScreen 3.0/ disproportionately-polluted and low-income communities in California that increase access to clean technology and provide economic opportunities. We are excited to have been one of three cohort companies selected for the prize, along with Sighten and PastureMap. The Just Innovation Prize projects also serve as a “pilot” cohort for EEx’s larger Equity & Access Track which will be announced in Fall 2018.

Since beginning our project on the Demonstration Track with Elemental Excelerator in 2016, we have greened more than 3,000 low-to-moderate income family homes across five islands in Hawaii, and are excited to expand our work into California. We will work with community partners to offer home efficiency services for low-income and elderly residents in East Palo Alto and surrounding communities. We also aim to award a Pono Home franchise to a community member, after training local East Palo Alto-based technicians to complete the work. After the project, these technicians will be able to perform Pono Home’s private sector services. A significant component of our project is local workforce development, to help create resilient, green jobs locally for California technicians.